Part Four Chapter VII

VII It was a bright, balmy morning, and the computing lab at Winterdown Comprehensive became stuffy as lunchtime approached, the dirty windows speckling the dusty monitors with distracting spots of light. Even though there was no Fats or Gaia here to distract him, Andrew Price could not concentrate. He could think of nothing but what he had overheard his parents discussing the previous evening. They had been talking, quite seriously, about moving to Reading, where Ruth's sister and brother-in-law lived. With his ear turned towards the open kitchen door, Andrew had hovered in the tiny dark hall and listened: Simon, it appeared, had been offered a job, or the possibility of a job, by the uncle whom Andrew and Paul barely knew, because Simon disliked him so much. ‘It's less money,' Simon had said. ‘You don't know that. He hasn't said – ‘ ‘Bound to be. And it'll be more expensive all round, living there.' Ruth made a noncommital noise. Scarcely daring to breathe in the hall, Andrew could tell, by the mere fact that his mother was not rushing to agree with Simon, that she wanted to go. Andrew found it impossible to imagine his parents in any house but Hilltop House, or against any backdrop but Pagford. He had taken it for granted that they would remain there for ever. He, Andrew, would leave one day for London, but Simon and Ruth would remain rooted to the hillside like trees, until they died. He had crept back upstairs to his bedroom and stared out of the window at the twinkling lights of Pagford, cupped in the deep black hollow between the hills. He felt as though he had never seen the view before. Somewhere down there, Fats was smoking in his attic room, probably looking at porn on his computer. Gaia was there too, absorbed in the mysterious rites of her gender. It occurred to Andrew that she had been through this; she had been torn away from the place she knew and transplanted. They had something profoundly in common at last; there was almost melancholy pleasure in the idea that, in leaving, he would share something with her. But she had not caused her own displacement. With a squirming unease in his guts, he had picked up his mobile and texted Fats: Si-Pie offered job in Reading. Might take it. Fats had still not responded, and Andrew had not seen him all morning, because they shared none of their classes. He had not seen Fats for the previous two weekends either, because he had been working at the Copper Kettle. Their longest conversation, recently, had concerned Fats' posting about Cubby on the council website. ‘I think Tessa suspects,' Fats had told Andrew casually. ‘She keeps looking at me like she knows.' ‘What're you gonna say?' Andrew had muttered, scared. He knew Fats' desire for glory and credit, and he knew Fats' passion for wielding the truth as a weapon, but he was not sure that his friend understood that his own pivotal role in the activities of the Ghost of Barry Fairbrother must never be revealed. It had never been easy to explain to Fats the reality of having Simon as a father, and, somehow, Fats was becoming more difficult to explain things to. When his IT teacher had passed by out of sight, Andrew looked up Reading on the internet. It was huge compared with Pagford. It had an annual music festival. It was only forty miles from London. He contemplated the train service. Perhaps he would go up to the capital at weekends, the way he currently took the bus to Yarvil. But the whole thing seemed unreal: Pagford was all he had ever known; he still could not imagine his family existing anywhere else. At lunchtime Andrew headed straight out of school, looking for Fats. He lit up a cigarette just out of sight of the grounds, and was delighted to hear, as he was slipping his lighter casually back into his pocket, a female voice that said, ‘Hey'. Gaia and Sukhvinder caught up with him. ‘All right,' he said, blowing smoke away from Gaia's beautiful face. The three of them had something these days that nobody else had. Two weekends' work at the cafe had created a fragile bond between them. They knew Howard's stock phrases, and had endured Maureen's prurient interest in all of their home lives; they had smirked together at her wrinkled knees in the too-short waitress's dress and had exchanged, like traders in a foreign land, small nuggets of personal information. Thus the girls knew that Andrew's father had been sacked; Andrew and Sukhvinder knew that Gaia was working to save for a train ticket back to Hackney; and he and Gaia knew that Sukhvinder's mother hated her working for Howard Mollison. ‘Where's your Fat friend?' she asked, as the three of them fell into step together. ‘Dunno,' said Andrew. ‘Haven't seen him.' ‘No loss,' said Gaia. ‘How many of those do you smoke a day?' ‘Don't count,' said Andrew, elated by her interest. ‘D'you want one?' ‘No,' said Gaia. ‘I don't like smoking.' He wondered instantly whether the dislike extended to kissing people who smoked. Niamh Fairbrother had not complained when he had stuck his tongue into her mouth at the school disco. ‘Doesn't Marco smoke?' asked Sukhvinder. ‘No, he's always in training,' said Gaia. Andrew had become almost inured to the thought of Marco de Luca by now. There were advantages to Gaia being safeguarded, as it were, by an allegiance beyond Pagford. The power of the photographs of them together on her Facebook page had been blunted by his familiarity with them. He did not think it was his own wishful thinking that the messages she and Marco left for each other were becoming less frequent and less friendly. He could not know what was happening by telephone or email, but he was sure that Gaia's air, when he was mentioned, was dispirited. ‘Oh, there he is,' said Gaia. It was not the handsome Marco who had come into view, but Fats Wall, who was talking to Dane Tully outside the newsagent's. Sukhvinder braked, but Gaia grabbed her upper arm. ‘You can walk where you like,' she said, tugging her gently onwards, her flecked green eyes narrowing as they approached the place where Fats and Dane were smoking. ‘All right, Arf,' called Fats, as the three of them came close. ‘Fats,' said Andrew. Trying to head off trouble, especially Fats bullying Sukhvinder in front of Gaia, he asked, ‘Did you get my text?' ‘What text?' said Fats. ‘Oh yeah – that thing about Si? You leaving, then, are you?' It was said with a cavalier indifference that Andrew could only attribute to the presence of Dane Tully. ‘Yeah, maybe,' said Andrew. ‘Where are you going?' asked Gaia. ‘My old man's been offered a job in Reading,' said Andrew. ‘Oh, that's where my dad lives!' said Gaia in surprise. ‘We could hang out when I go and stay. The festival's awesome. D'you wanna get a sandwich, then, Sooks?' Andrew was so stupefied by her voluntary offer to spend time with him, that she had disappeared into the newsagent's before he could gather his wits and agree. For a moment, the dirty bus stop, the newsagent's, even Dane Tully, tattooed and shabby in a T-shirt and tracksuit bottoms, seemed to glow with an almost celestial light. ‘Well, I got things to do,' said Fats. Dane sniggered. Before Andrew could say anything or offer to accompany him, he had loped away. Fats was sure that Andrew would be nonplussed and hurt by his cool attitude, and he was glad of it. Fats did not ask himself why he was glad, or why a general desire to cause pain had become his overriding emotion in the last few days. He had lately decided that questioning your own motives was inauthentic; a refinement of his personal philosophy that had made it altogether easier to follow. As he headed into the Fields, Fats thought about what had happened at home the previous evening, when his mother had entered his bedroom for the first time since Cubby had punched him. (‘That message about your father on the Parish Council website,' she had said. ‘I've got to ask you this, Stuart, and I wish – Stuart, did you write it?' It had taken her a few days to summon the courage to accuse him, and he was prepared. ‘No,' he said. Perhaps it would have been more authentic to say yes, but he had preferred not to, and he did not see why he should have to justify himself. ‘You didn't?' she repeated, with no change of tone or expression. ‘No,' he repeated. ‘Because very, very few people know what Dad †¦ what he worries about.' ‘Well, it wasn't me.' ‘The post went up the same evening that Dad and you had the row, and Dad hit – ‘ ‘I've told you, I didn't do it.' ‘You know he's ill, Stuart.' ‘Yeah, so you keep telling me.' ‘I keep telling you because it's true! He can't help it – he's got a serious mental illness that causes him untold distress and misery.' Fats' mobile had beeped, and he had glanced down at a text from Andrew. He read it and experienced an air punch to the midriff: Arf leaving for good. ‘I'm talking to you, Stuart – ‘ ‘I know – what?' ‘All these posts – Simon Price, Parminder, Dad – these are all people you know. If you're behind all this – ‘ ‘I've told you, I'm not.' ‘ – you're causing untold damage. Serious, awful damage, Stuart, to people's lives.' Fats was trying to imagine life without Andrew. They had known each other since they were four. ‘It's not me,' he had said.) Serious, awful damage to people's lives. They had made their lives, Fats thought scornfully as he turned into Foley Road. The victims of the Ghost of Barry Fairbrother were mired in hypocrisy and lies, and they didn't like the exposure. They were stupid bugs running from bright light. They knew nothing about real life. He could see a house ahead that had a bald tyre lying on the grass in front of it. He had a strong suspicion that that was Krystal's, and when he saw the number, he knew he was right. He had never been here before. He would never have agreed to meet her at her home during the lunch hour a couple of weeks ago, but things changed. He had changed. They said that her mother was a prostitute. She was certainly a junkie. Krystal had told him that the house would be empty because her mother would be at Bellchapel Addiction Clinic, receiving her allotted amount of methadone. Fats walked up the garden path without slowing, but with unexpected trepidation. Krystal had been on the watch for him, from her bedroom window. She had closed the doors of every room downstairs, so that all he would see was the hall; she had thrown everything that had spilt into it back into the sitting room and kitchen. The carpet was gritty and burnt in places, and the wallpaper stained, but she could do nothing about that. There had been none of the pine-scented disinfectant left, but she had found some bleach and sloshed that around the kitchen and bathroom, both of them sources of the worst smells in the house. When he knocked, she ran downstairs. They did not have long; Terri would probably be back with Robbie at one. Not long to make a baby. ‘Hiya,' she said, when she opened the door. ‘All right?' said Fats, blowing out smoke through his nostrils. He did not know what he had expected. His first glimpse of the interior of the house was of a grimy bare box. There was no furniture. The closed doors to his left and ahead were strangely ominous. ‘Are we the only ones here?' he asked as he crossed the threshold. ‘Yeah,' said Krystal. ‘We c'n go upstairs. My room.' She led the way. The deeper inside they went, the worse the smell became: mingled bleach and filth. Fats tried not to care. All doors were closed on the landing, except one. Krystal went inside. Fats did not want to be shocked, but there was nothing in the room except a mattress, which was covered with a sheet and a bare duvet, and a small pile of clothes heaped up in a corner. A few pictures ripped from tabloid newspapers were sellotaped to the wall; a mixture of pop stars and celebrities. Krystal had made her collage the previous day, in imitation of the one on Nikki's bedroom wall. Knowing that Fats was coming over, she had wanted to make the room more hospitable. She had drawn the thin curtains. They gave a blueish tinge to daylight. ‘Gimme a fag,' she said. ‘I'm gasping.' He lit it for her. She was more nervous than he had ever seen her; he preferred her cocky and worldly. ‘We ain' got long,' she told him, and with the cigarette in her mouth, she began to strip. ‘Me mum'll be back.' ‘Yeah, at Bellchapel, isn't she?' said Fats, somehow trying to harden Krystal up again in his mind. ‘Yeah,' said Krystal, sitting on the mattress and pulling off her tracksuit bottoms. ‘What if they close it?' asked Fats, taking off his blazer. ‘I heard they're thinking about it.' ‘I dunno,' said Krystal, but she was frightened. Her mother's willpower, fragile and vulnerable as a fledgling chick, could fail at the slightest provocation. She had already stripped to her underwear. Fats was taking off his shoes when he noticed something nestled beside her heaped clothes: a small plastic jewellery box lying open, and curled inside, a familiar watch. ‘Is that my mum's?' he said, in surprise. ‘What?' Krystal panicked. ‘No,' she lied. ‘It was my Nana Cath's. Don't – !' But he had already pulled it out of the box. ‘It is hers,' he said. He recognized the strap. ‘It fuckin' ain't!' She was terrified. She had almost forgotten that she had stolen it, where it had come from. Fats was silent, and she did not like it. The watch in Fats' hand seemed to be both challenging and reproaching him. In quick succession he imagined walking out, slipping it casually into his pocket, or handing it back to Krystal with a shrug. ‘It's mine,' she said. He did not want to be a policeman. He wanted to be lawless. But it took the recollection that the watch had been Cubby's gift to make him hand it back to her and carry on taking off his clothes. Scarlet in the face, Krystal tugged off bra and pants and slipped, naked, beneath the duvet. Fats approached her in his boxer shorts, a wrapped condom in his hand. ‘We don' need that,' said Krystal thickly. ‘I'm takin' the pill now.' ‘Are you?' She moved over on the mattress for him. Fats slid under the duvet. As he pulled off his boxers, he wondered whether she was lying about the pill, like the watch. But he had wanted to try without a condom for a while. ‘Go on,' she whispered, and she tugged the little foil square out of his hand and threw it on top of his blazer, crumpled on the floor. He imagined Krystal pregnant with his child; the faces of Tessa and Cubby when they heard. His kid in the Fields, his flesh and blood. It would be more than Cubby had ever managed. He climbed on top of her; this, he knew, was real life.

Admission Essay for Counseling Psychology Program

My country, Serbia, underwent a period of terror and wars, especially during the NATO Bombing in 1999. This marking event in our history taught me more than what my formal education could. Before this disaster struck, I was a full-time student and the University of Pristina majoring in English Language and Literature. During the high of political upheavals, the situation in Kosovo was already tense.Minorities had constant provocations, and hatred had a firm imprint on the people. My life was heavily influenced, as well as my education. I had experienced first hand what it means to be â€Å"persona non grate† in the your childhood community.I wished everyone could understand what this meant for all of us, regardless of who we were and where we came from. Being prosecuted and not having the right to enjoy our college days was a sour memory, but something I live by as a source of my strength. I experienced biases and prejudice, yet I stand firm.I was treated badly, but my dreams never blurred from my sight. I was emotionally affected, but I was more inspired to pursue these dreams, and become a counselor. Freedom in this country was taken for granted, and our college life overlooked.The war made it necessary for me to leave Pristina and Kosovo. Shocked and scared, I came back to a home where fires, bombings and NATO planes assailed my daily itinerary. The screeching sirens did not help our situation. It seemed that we merely waited for the bomb to drop on our heads and defy us from mere existence.During all the madness, I tried to suppress my stress by being optimistic for my family and friends.   As a child, I have been my family's â€Å"corrupter of words†, as I've always seen myself as one of Shakespeare’s fools. My mom always pointed out my ability to rearrange words and it's meanings to create a personal â€Å"philosophical† statement.I would often add humor when the our lives would seem bland, other times when we feel the panic crawling through our bones, and fear completely etching our faces. The bombings taught us this.As you watch the planes every day, you'd get to realize that there are things you can do as not to be so stressed. Since we could not prevent the many disasters in our lives, we can re-frame the fear and pain to something more positive. The idea was to live your life as normally as possible, by teaching yourself to be blind of some of the negative events in our lives.It wasn't all that bad during those terrifying days. There were positive outcomes as well, like in social gatherings where the unique humor and spirit in my culture gave me a good faith and optimism to survive next days. If I couldn’t eliminate stress by changing or ignoring the situation, the least I could do was offer social support.My profound interest in teaching English to people of different languages didn’t falter due to the war. It allowed me to complete my education on time, and start my career as an Eng lish teacher. In the classroom, it is particularly important for me to understand the point of view of the student, and use humor and real-life situations to get my points across.I developed my interest in researching about language through my undergraduate studies. My greater interest is on how sociocultural factors have an impact on the awareness, design, implementation, and assessment of a second language in a multicultural community, in comparison to those in culturally homogeneous communities.ESL classes in Serbia were more British oriented, both in linguistics and culture. As a young teacher, I have always been open to new teaching methods. I also tried to add novelties into the curriculum. My decision to spend a year in the United States was supported by my desire to learn more about the American culture.I believe this will broaden my perspectives on cultural diversity and different systems of education. Furthermore, this will heighten my personal and professional development . I can say that life can be very unpredictable because my one year visit become a life of adventure and possibilities by studying psychology.You would know if you are experiencing life if the wind pushes you in all directions. My senses were surrounded with uncertainty as I involved myself in a different culture. I knew how it felt to be a little fish in a big pond. Being an international student from Eastern Europe did not prepare me for the many interesting things a new country can offer me.The initial knowledge gained from textbooks, and the places I've traveled to see, were put to waste as I stepped onto unknown territory. I felt helpless, and wanted desperately to go home. I could have been with my family, a cup of cappuccino and the newspaper within my grasps. However, even though I experienced culture shock, I believe hands-on education is still the best teacher.Soon after arriving in a new country, I was caught between my old values from my native culture, and the new value s of the host culture. I was pressured to adapt in order to survive. Adjusting to a new culture, new system, and new life, was not an easy task. But my ability to adapt allowed me to face any obstacle. My goals were always set whenever I face any challenge. I never let my self-esteem falter.I love to feel challenged because it makes me work twice as hard. I proved this by obtaining my second undergraduate degree (BA in Liberal Arts/Psychology) and graduating with the highest honors.   I always tried to reach for the stars.   But the opposite side of the coin is nostalgia. Something that is present when I am working, studying, eating, and even when sleeping.Being an international student among fellow foreigners in the US made me realize how much social support and understanding was necessary to challenge and achieve academically in other countries. By considering the problems students have in the US, and by developing different approaches and solutions, I believe I can be a great counselor in a multicultural world. Just by the thought of it made me eager to learn more, and increase the repertoire of counseling styles and skills alongside others.During my senior year of college, I conducted an extensive literature review on â€Å"psychosocial adjustment issues of international students and the need for social support†. I refined my research skills in data analysis using SPSS, as well as my ability to present my findings in the manner of an accepted professional research paper.I enjoyed conducting the literature review the most, approaching it as a scavenger hunt and considering the quantity and quality of information found as my reward. This project, along with my other undergraduate studies, prepared me for the rigors of graduate study and the parameters of successful research. Professional experiences, research, and undergraduate courses at Menlo College have further stimulated my interest in psychology and reinforced my conviction that I am well su ited to the field.Although these varied research experiences have provided me with fundamental skills, I still feel the need for more training. In retrospect, college was one of the most stimulating periods in my life, and I found tremendous determination to achieve my goal of helping others through the study of psychology.Looking from the prospective of a student gave me more retrospection on my teaching profession, which I love so much.   However, life is an intriguing railroad with many stations.   Some of those stations I got off at were good experiences and some bad. But over all, it has been a journey that continues on.Helping others reach their goals, having a positive attitude, and dedicating both personal and professional growth were the traits I held when I entered Menlo College.   They remain as an integral part of my work ethic today.My international student experience, and many research projects, have helped me achieve a theoretical foundation for the important wo rk of helping students succeed in college. We must have an understanding and compassion for diverse student populations. I learned this from the years of teaching experience. Furthermore, I am able to demonstrate my strengths and abilities to relate effectively with individuals from all levels and cultural backgrounds.These experiences have not only taught me valuable lessons about student life, but have also reinforced my interest in pursuing my career in counseling psychology. Graduate school will enable me to develop vital research and counseling skills, and the solid academic background that I need to be a successful counselor and researcher.A master's program in counseling psychology will not only cultivate and refine my involvement in research, but also equip me to deal with the challenges of an MS program. The combination of MFT and my counseling degree will enable me to fulfill my career aspirations and passion for helping students in need. Furthermore, I can prepare myself in facing the complexity of psychotherapy and unpredictability when dealing with emotional issues of individuals and their families.I have all the traits needed to be a good counselor. Undoubtedly, my devotion to my education will be the greatest asset of all. Being able to successfully help   individuals in the future will be my greatest reward for the effort and investment I will put myself into

Baoding balls Essay

Baoding balls are believed to have originated in Baoding, a small town in the Heibei province of China during the reign of the Ming dynasty( Luo, 1991). Baoding balls were originally known as Iron Balls, since the early Baoding balls were made of iron balls. At present, the Iron material that was originally used in making Baoding balls has been replaced with chrome-plated steel. Some modern day Baoding ball designs has been modified to be made of light materials forged into a hollow ball, containing a chime in the hollow space inside. This modification has caused the Baoding ball to be sometimes called rhyme balls. Baoding balls are generally used for exercise. It can also be used for meditation and can also be also be utilized for medical and therapy purposes. There are many possible forms of exercise that may employ the use of Baoding balls. A user may also design his own routine using his Baoding ball, depending on his preference. Baoding balls are good at relieving Arthritis, and may benefit individuals suffering from Carpal Tunnel syndrome (CTS) and other manual diseases. Baoding balls are also good at restoring or improving manual dexterity. At some extent, it can even be used in therapy against hand paralysis. Scientifically, the effects of Baoding balls are yet to be proven, but alternative medicine advocates ascertain that the Baoding balls can really help, health wise, by touching pressure points during their rotation in the palm. By touching pressure points, the Baoding balls can improve blood circulation and at the same time, helps muscles, nerves, and tissues relax. Baoding balls are usually used in pairs. For exercises, the Baoding balls are placed in the palm and are rotated clockwise or counterclockwise through hand motion. Advance exercises using the Baoding balls may employ additional balls, aside from the two Baoding balls employed in the basic exercises. Some Baoding ball users may use up to three Baoding balls at a time. Other users may also set rules to improve their exercises routine, such as not allowing the Baoding balls to touch each other during the exercises. Other variations to hand exercises using Baoding balls may also be made to suit the needs and preference of the users. Although the health effects of Baoding balls still lay as a mystery to the western medical sciences, the Chinese has spent centuries using the Baoding balls, and living up as witnesses to the health benefits that it can give. References Cited Luo, Steve. 1991. The Mysterious Iron Balls of Boading. Qi: The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health & Fitness. Retrieved on May 22, 2010 from http://www. qi-journal. com/culture

Discuss, in detail, the connection of power to political science Essay

Discuss, in detail, the connection of power to political science - Essay Example For instance, a leader over a small number of people is named a master, the director of a home; over a quite greater number, a king or a statesman, as there is the presence of a variance amid a boundless household and a minor nation. Aristotle states that it is not right for a government to have variance in politics and power. In power and politics, there exists six types of constitutions they are divided into here are unjust and three that are just. A constitution can be defined as just in cases where is has advantages to the each and every citizen, on the other hand, a constitution can be referred to as unjust in cases whereby it is of help to the individuals in power only. When leadership is via a single person, this is a monarchy constitution, the ruler has to be good and incases of a bad leader it is referred to as tyranny. In cases where minor elite is the ruler, this constitution is referred to aristocracy when the rulers are respectable and an oligarchy if the rulers are wicked and corrupt. In situation of a government whereby the masses rule, the constitution is termed as a polity if the leadership is good and a democracy if the leadership is bad. Aristotle recognizes that providing full dominion to either the leading body or the regulations might create room for misuses of power and advocates th at a polity is most likely least vulnerable to corruption, particularly in situations where by the laws are assumed higher power than the leading body. He suggests a norm of distributive justice, stating that advantages ought to be discussed upon diverse citizens in a different way, depending on the involvement they make to the happiness of the public. Platos Republic focuses on a modest question â€Å"is it always better to be just than unjust?† Plato defines justice as a virtue of a nation that would aid outline justice as a feature of typical

Two part paper about the recent financial crisis and Hyman Minsky's Dissertation - 1

Two part paper about the recent financial crisis and Hyman Minsky's theories - Dissertation Example The stationary properties of all the variables are examined using Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root tests. To test for stationarity, the unit roots for each of the series are examined using the Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root tests developed by Dickey (1976); Fuller (1976); Dickey and Fuller (1979). Here the null hypothesis that the time series belongs to the difference stationary process against the alternative that it belongs to the trend stationary process has been tested using two models, one with constant and the other with constant and trend. The optimum number of lags is selected using Akaike Information Criteria. 45 3.4 Hypothesis Testing 47 3.5.4 Model Limitations 48 3.6. 5 Hyman Minsky’s Articulation 49 Chapter 4 – Statistical Result 55 4.1 Empirical Evidences for Greenspan’s Theories 55 H 63 R 63 D 63 B 63 FRM 63 Constant 63 -1.000 63 0.03(0.56) 63 0.07(0.04) 63 0.09(0.03) 63 -0.002(0.65) 63 -0.23(0.03) 63 0.002(0.15) 63 -1.000 63 0.04(0. 03) 63 0.43(0.04) 63 -0.004(0.21) 63 -0.65(0.76) 63 0.001(0.14) 63 0.002(0.013) 63 -1.000 63 0.32(0.14) 63 -0.001(0.11) 63 -0.43(0.16) 63 4.2 Empirical Evidences for Taylor’s Theory 67 Price Expectations and Housing 70 4.3 Empirical Evidences for Hyman Minsky’s Theory on Financial Crisis 72 Chapter 5 – Data Analysis and Interpretation 75 5.1 Discussion of Greenspan’s Theory 75 5.2 Discussion of Taylor’s Theory 83 5.3 Discussion of Minsky’s Theory 88 Chapter 6- Conclusion 94 References 100 Chapter 1- Introduction 1.1 Background In 2007, a number of leading European and U.S. banks were severely impacted by the collapse of mortgage-backed instruments that were mainly a by-product of their ‘packaging’. To the dismay of financial institutions, these toxic assets comprised a major portion of the bank’s asset base. The high demand in the housing market was triggered by historically low (many would argue below equilibrium) intere st rates. This ‘artificial’ demand led to a bubble in the housing sector that subsequently burst once the Fed raised interest rates, paving the way for a series of delinquencies. Buoyed by the booming housing market, banks granted loans to subprime borrowers who under ‘normal’ conditions, would have been rejected. With the rise in interest rates, these subprime borrowers failed to pay back on their house payments which resulted in a plethora of loan foreclosures. The rising defaults led to a credit crunch because financial institutions suddenly became very wary of lending to each other. For example, a steep rise in liquidity costs resulted in the â€Å"first bank run† in Britain in over 150 years. The enduing credit crisis was the result of a sustained period of global imbalances and bubbles in asset prices. The Federal Reserve continuously kept interest rates at unprecedented low levels for a significant part of the decade, setting the stage for che ap credit. Many business leaders and financiers across the world considered U.S. households

Psychological Factors of Crime and Constitutional Criminal Procedure Thesis

Psychological Factors of Crime and Constitutional Criminal Procedure - Thesis Example Psychoanalytic Theory Sigmund Freud talks about the â€Å"psychoanalytic theory†. According to this theory, the human mind in its natural stage does not harbour any sort of crime or hatred towards the community or its fellow beings. However, once the human being starts interacting with the society do the traits develop of negativity and crime. While the person interacts with people around him, he starts altering his mind and behaviour according to the developments taking place within the society. This can have a huge impact on the behavioural aspects of the human beings. The theory talks about the stage from an individual starts to give birth to negative traits about humanity. This happens if the person is outward in his emotions and tends to dislike and be disinterested with his life. Once he starts to get disinterested in the role of his life according to the societal needs, there is a great chance that he may start questioning the very reason for a society to exist. Once al l these questions brew in his mind, it all gives birth to a criminal mind, which accompanied by outward nature of emotional occurrence could lead to killings and other aspects of crime. So on one hand we see that human behaviour is always positive, but on the other hand we find that there are instances and situations where the negativity within the human mind takes over the conscious framework of happiness ad goodness for fellow beings, due to the nature of the society that the man starts to develop hatred for the same. It is extremely tough for minds which are weak in their consciousness to hold them tolerant for all the negativity surrounding their habitat. At the end of the day a lot of people do give in to the unfortunates of the society, and the fact that they are not able to defeat that negativity in their minds leads to crime in the society, whereby they take weapons and other means of mass destructions to eke out this negativity somehow form their system. One of the main rea sons of crime is the fact that the person who has developed a criminal mind has not been able to throw out the frustrations and negativity which has been living in his mind out of his system. Frustrated with life and other aspects of the society, he tries to find out means to throw away this frustration. But unfortunately he is not able to. Once he realizes that it is not going anywhere for him, and the fact that society seems to be largely responsible for his growing frustration and negativity, he decides that the best way to throw away such frustration is to give the negativity back to the people of the society, And this is where the phenomenon of crime starts to develop. A person takes upto crime due to a lot of sociological factors which get embedded into psychological factors. Society has been very much responsible for the derailment of humanity and the development of crime. The factor of crime always remains a negative factor as no one individual has been attracted to commit a crime in the first place. However, social inequalities and differences which have been casted upon the people have led to the ever growing situation of crime across different societies. Let us take an example of a man who has been going through a rough patch. He has been side-lined in his profession and does not have any hope to survive in his life. On top of that, his house is under stress from the landlord who

Individual Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Individual Report - Assignment Example The GDP growth rate of the Czech Republic is quite moderate taking into consideration the recent economic downturn. Inflation rate is also moderate, and indicates that the economic environment in the country is favourable for international development. Exchange rate is subject to regulations on behalf of the national government. Taking into consideration projections that the national currency will gradually appreciate, the decision to enter the Czech Republic market should be reviewed. The limitation of this report can be referred to lack of some specific facts about the US-company’s operations, and understanding of the industry in which it operates. Due to this limitation, further research is required. There should be carried more detailed analysis of external environment, including: political, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors. The large US-based multinational company that manufactures and sells its products in a number of other countries, including China and the UK is evaluating opportunities of international expansion, namely to the Czech Republic. The aim of this report is to provide the Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors with analytical overview of the economic situation in the Czech Republic and provide recommendations regarding expansion of the business to this country. The remainder of the report is comprised of several sections, whereas the literature review section provides theoretical overview of key macroeconomic indicators and how these indicators can be used in order to evaluate economic health of a specific country or region. The next section provides overview of the current economic situation in the Czech Republic based on the macroeconomic indicators such as GDP, inflation rate and exchange rate. Section â€Å"Interpretation† presents analysis of the historical and actual macroeconomic

John D. Ashcroft, Petitioner, V. Abdullah Al-Kidd Case Study

John D. Ashcroft, Petitioner, V. Abdullah Al-Kidd - Case Study Example Al-Kidd further alleges that during the trial of Al-Hussayen, he has never been called as a witness and also that the authorities have â€Å"never meant to do so† (p.1). Therefore, the petitioner challenges the constitutional validity of Attorney General’s â€Å"alleged policy† in authorizing his detention on the pretext that he is a material witness in the trial against Sami Omar (p.1). Initially, the case has been heard by the Ninth Circuit Court, which held that the action of the Attorney General has violated the individual’s rights under the Fourth Amendment which disallows â€Å"pretextual arrests† in the absence of a possible cause of a criminal activity (p.1). John Ashcroft, the Attorney General, challenging the decision of Ninth Circuit Court, has filed the suit to Supreme Court appealing for a review. On a petition by Al-Kidd, the Ninth Circuit Court has heard the case and ordered that the Attorney General’s action of securing a warrant under the pretext that the petitioner is a material witness in another case and hence he cannot leave the country, and his detention for this reason, is a violation of his constitutional rights. Therefore, the court has denied Ashcroft’s motion to dismiss the petition on â€Å"qualified immunity grounds† (p.1). The main issue present in the case is the question of the validity of the detention of Al-Kidd from a legal perspective, under the prevailing threat to national security of the US. The Attorney General has allegedly secured a warrant under the federal statutes relating to â€Å"material witness† for the detention of the former (Abrams, 2011, p.1). It becomes relevant here that the action of the Attorney General in securing the warrant for the detention of the petitioner is well within the relevant laws and thus it is purely legal. Under the prevailing circumstances in the country, when terrorist activities have been rampant in the nation, the petitioner has been detained because of his relevance

Semi-formal report assignment about Physiotherapy Essay

Semi-formal report assignment about Physiotherapy - Essay Example Physiotherapy is now a widely used treatment for many problems and health care areas, which can include orthopedics, neurology, chest, pediatrics, gynecology and geriatrics, nephrology, cancer, sports, post cardiothoracic surgery, general surgery (Burnett, 2006, pp 2 and 3). Through the use of different techniques, physiotherapy aims to improve the functioning of the different malfunctions of the body and help in the recovery processes due to illness or injury (Kumar, 2005, pp 6). The key areas therefore, where physiotherapy is utilized includes prevention of injury from taking place in susceptible individuals, acute care, rehabilitation in various illnesses and injuries, maintenance of functional mobility or best achievable health in at risk patients such as the elderly or patients with chronic illnesses, for patient and carer education, and occupational health respectively (Kumar, 2005, pp 6, Burnett, 2006, pp 4). The type of work leads to many applications of physical therapy. Phy sical therapists may be involved in providing general public information about how to maintain the correct posture or life heavy objects without hurting self. They may be involved in educating pregnant women about how to maintain their body balance and ways to maintain their postures (Burnett, 2006, pp 3 and 4). They are actively involved in caring for a rehabilitation of children with various mental or physical retardations. Providing rehabilitation to patients with various illnesses as mentioned above are also another key area of their services. The locations for carrying out physiotherapy can range from hospitals to rehabilitation centers, to private clinics or home visiting teams respectively. The physiotherapists are able to carry out these treatments through a range of techniques, which include manipulation and massages, exercise, hydrotherapy, vibration, ultrasound, and the use of infrared and ultraviolet radiation respectively (Burnett, 2006, pp 4). BACKGROUND The origins of physiotherapy are uncertain, for methods such as massage and heat therapy was utilized by people for long time to treat various muscular injuries. However, the true scope of physiotherapy probably emerged during the Second World War, where soldiers were the first to experiment the use of it (Kumar, 2005, pp 6). The effectiveness of these methods led to more research and innovation, with the result that physiotherapy gradually came to be known as a separate entity in medical and allied health fields. This led to the creation of first ever diploma and degree programs specific for physical therapy (Kumar, 2005, pp 6). Some claim that the origins of various techniques such as massage therapies and hydrotherapeutics were invented and utilized by the Chinese for as long as 3000 BC (Dreeben-Irimia, 2010, pp 3). Ancient China, India and Greece have been involved in utilizing its various forms and methods for quite some time, as evidenced by their ancient medical texts (Dreeben Irimia, 2010 , pp 3). A common confusion in this regard is the difference between physiotherapy, osteopathy

C Programming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

C Programming - Essay Example C truly is much more of a â€Å"programming environment† than just a language. Using this environment, a single developer can quickly create a simple application; a team of developers can create a sophisticated, distributed application. The main reason why C is so popular and powerful is the same reason behind the success of Windows. Microsoft took a complex technology (writing computer programs) and made it easier to use through a graphical interface. Suppose you have to write a program for your company. In a visual programming environment, you can quickly design the windows that the user sees by drawing and arranging them just as you would lay out elements for a newspaper. Arithmetic operators These are the simple operators used in daily mathematics. These include the addition ‘+’ operator, subtraction ‘-’ operator, multiplication ‘*’ operator, division ‘/’ operator and the modulus ‘%’ operator.

Truth Is Absolute Not Relative Essay Example for Free

Truth Is Absolute Not Relative Essay Background of the Topic: Many people nowadays seek for â€Å"THE TRUTH†. I searched up the internet and Google gave me 611 million answers in just a quart of a second. As top answer Google gave me this definition from wisegeek.com, â€Å"An absolute truth, sometimes called a universal truth, is an unalterable and permanent fact. The concept of absolute truths what they are and whether they exist has been debated among many different groups of people. Philosophers have waded in the muck of defining absolute truth for millennia. For example, Plato believed that absolute truth existed, but that truth on earth was merely a shadow of great forms of absolute truth existing in the universe which is now commonly called â€Å"universals†. Alternatively, many believe in relative truths, where facts may vary depending on the circumstances.† Simply put, WHAT’S TRUE TO ME MAY NOT BE TRUE TO YOU. It is however difficult to disprove the concept of absolute truth, since saying that there are no absolute truths that it is absolutely true that no absolute truth exists is itself an absolute truth.† Relationship of the Topic- Main: It will help us to know and recognize the fundamental basis of truth. To me: I firmly believe on absolute truth unlike others. I believe in the absolute truth of the Bible and God as its ultimate source. To the society: Living in a society sharing the same ground that there is an existence of absolute truth would eradicate most of today’s debates on non-significant yet intriguing problems. Also, there is the need of a certain and mutual fundamental basis of the absoluteness of truth and from whence it come forth. Problem: Many of us were blinded about what is truth and a lot of us have different queries regarding what is the real meaning of truth whether it is absolute or relative. Definition of the topic: There are a few things that we all agree are absolutely true, but they depend upon an agreement in definition. ABSOULTE TRUTH: †¢ Truth is discovered not invented †¢ Truth is transcultural: it can be conveyed across different cultures. †¢ Truth is unchanging: it can be conveyed across time. †¢ Beliefs cannot change a truth statement no matter how sincere one may be †¢ Truth is unaffected by the attitude of the one professing it †¢ All Truths are absolute †¢ Truth is knowable In order for truth to be absolute and holding these qualities, it must be grounded in a source that is personal, unchanging, and sovereign over all creation. Relative Truth: Truth is created not discovered. Truth is a matter of perspective and each culture or individual defines for themselves what truth is. †¢ Since truth is invented, there is no universal transcultural truth. Each culture or individual will define truth differently according to their background and perspective. †¢ Truth changes since it is inseparably connected to individuals and cultures which continually change truth perpetually to changes. †¢ Since truth is a matter of a group or individual’s perspective, one’s beliefs can change a truth statement. †¢ Since an individual determines truth, truth is affected by the attitude of the one professing it. †¢ There can be no such thing as absolute truth. †¢ Absolute truth is not knowable. Absolute and objective truth cannot be known since it is built on the shifting foundation of man’s perceptions. As each individual’s perception is different, truth cannot be known. References: Bible and Blogs specifically the Truth Project

Informative Essay on Save the Last Dance and Step Up Essay Example for Free

Informative Essay on Save the Last Dance and Step Up Essay Informative Essay on Step Up and Save the Last Dance The two movies, Step Up and Save the Last Dance, have many things in contrast and in comparison to the other. In Step up, a girl named Sarah Johnson, a promising dancer in high school hoping to be admitted to study at Julliard School. She fails the audition and soon thereafter learns that her mother has been involved in a fatal car accident trying to get to her audition. After her mother’s death, Sara is wracked by built and gives up on ballet. She moves in with her father whom she doesn’t know well, transferring to an urban Chicago school. At her new school she finds that she is one of a handful of white people but quickly friendship flames up between her and a single mom named Chenille. Chenille invites Sara to a dance club called Stepps where she experiences dancing to hip-hop for the first time. While at Stepps, Sara meets Derek, Chenille’s brother and a student with dreams of attending Georgetown Medical School. Upon meeting and seeing each other at school, Derek decides to help Sara develop her dancing skills by incorporating more hip-hip into her ballet style. As they become closer, Derek takes her to a ballet and afterwards Sara confides in him about her mother and her dreams she tossed away. After, Derek convinces her that she needs to do what she wants and follow her dreams of Julliard. Sara auditions for Julliard for the second time, Derek arriving at a crucial point to offer encouragement and support. Sara was finally accepted into Julliard, and to celebrate Sara’s successful audition, they go dancing at the club Stepps. In Save the Last Dance, Tyler Gage was sentenced to 200 hours of community service for breaking into and vandalizing Maryland School of Arts. His community service is to be served at the school and notices as he peers into a dance class a girl named Nora Clark, whom was preparing for her â€Å"senior showcase,† an audition which could determine whether or not she is offered a job with any one of the professional dance companies. When friends of Tyler visit him on the school’s lot, Nora curiously watches from a window as Tyler incorporated a mix of break-dancing and ballet moves he recently observed while watching her. Nora finds herself unexpectedly without a partner for her routine when her partner sprains his ankle during a dance practice. She  held some auditions but decides that no one at her school meet her expectations. Tyler offered to be her partner, but Nora initially refuses. But Tyler proves that he can handle her requests by effortlessly catching and lifting her in a leap, quickly reconsidering his offer to help. Nora convinces the director of the school to allow him to rehearse with her and as they continue with rehearse; they teach each other their styles of dance and become closer to one another. When Nora takes Tyler to a special spot of hers, she reveals to him of how she envisioned her routine and becomes inspired to help her dream come true. He started with recruiting younger dancers for her routine while trying to balance his new goals, his new friends and rekindling the friendships with his old friends. Tyler decides he wants to attend Maryland and speaks with the director about this when Nora suggests that the showcase could be used as his entrance audition. The director agrees to this and advises that this could prove that he deserves a chance. Nora and Tyler move forward with their relationship and rehearsals continue as normal until Noraâ⠂¬â„¢s former dance partner returns seemingly healed from his injury. Tyler, feeling no longer needed, leaves the group and thus returns to the janitorial community services he was sentenced to. Nora continued to incorporate many of Tyler’s suggestions for the routine but finds the new choreography is much too difficult for her previous dance partner. Her partner resigns himself from the routine whilst Nora is once again left without a partner. Nora considers abandoning her dance career, but transforms her choreography into a solo piece when she received support and encouragement from her mother who used to be opposed of her future in dance. Tyler realizes after becoming reacquainted with his old friends that he needs to make better choices in his life when his friend was fatally shot after stealing a car. Tyler showed up at Nora’s showcase last minute and tries to persuade Nora to let him perform with her and to forgive him for his actions. She declined but changes her mind as Tyler wishes her good luck and walks away. After their performance, a director from a professional dance company spoke to Nora about signing her on with them and the director from the school told Tyler he is now a â€Å"transfer student† at Maryland. To be clear with the comparisons and contrasts, Sara was a student who knew only ballet and was taught hip-hop by her boyfriend, Derek. Tyler was a  hip-hop break-dancer who was taught ballet by his girlfriend, Nora. Sara threw away her dreams of going to Julliard due to her mother passing while trying to go to her first audition. Tyler threw away his dream of going to Maryland when Nora decided to use her former dance partner for her showcase. As both sets of main characters incorporate their dance styles together, both sets grew closer to their partner and ended up being in a relationship. Derek convinces Sara to reconsider her dream of Julliard, continue with what makes her happy and re-audition for Julliard. Nora convinced Tyler to use her showcase as his entrance audition, convincing the director of the school as well. Both movies also have surprise visits to emotionally support their partners during a stressful and hard event. Tyler showed up at Nora’s showcase last minute as well as Derek at Sara’s audition. Tyler got into Maryland, Nora became a professional dancer, Derek got into Medical School and Sara got into Julliard. They all accomplished their dream. But in contrast, they both started out dancing a different style before learning to mix it up with another. Tyler first only knew break-dancing and learned ballet. Sara only knew ballet and learned hip-hop. They both started with two different styles. Tyler, the main character in Step Up, was trying to get into Maryland High School as Sara was trying to get into Julliard, a college that’s also difficult to get into. Tyler doesn’t have trouble fitting in at the school while he’s supposed to be there for community service, he fits right in when his dance talents are brought to light. Sara didn’t fit in at her new school and didn’t end up fitting in even in the end of the movie, she just had her few friend s and was happy with that even though she was still considered the oddball of the school for being one of the few white people there. There may be a few more comparisons than contrasts, but I love the movies so much I had trouble pointing out every contrast and unknowingly sought out the comparisons over the contrasts. If there’s a person that has never watched these two movies I would highly recommend them!

Effects of Technology on Music

Effects of Technology on Music Effects of Technology on Music Production and Distribution Introduction Technology has brought many advantageous opportunities to the music industry in the area of production and distribution. Besides popular and valuable instruments such as the electric guitar and the synthesizer, technology has brought us new production equipments such as high-fidelity microphones, re-mastering equipments and CD-ROMs that provide us with a crystal clear sound of the recording. The development of these equipments has allowed the audience to experience a higher quality of sound coming from both live concerts and recordings. Easiness of transportation that came along with the technological developments in the sector, has allowed the record labels to distribute music all around the world. During the 1950s turbojet engines were cleared for civilian use, and with new civil jet-engine cargo aircraft distribution of almost any item became easier and faster than ever before. The evolution of the computer and the Internet was also a great distribution advantage for the music industry and should not be underestimated. New sound formats, such as the MP3, have made music distribution easier. Companies could now provide selling licenses to companies that would allow users to download certain songs from the Internet at a very high speed. The music industry also got many opportunities for advertisements since they were now not limited to billboards, TV and radio. Many companies can now promote their records by playing a preview for the user, on certain websites. Music Production Recording equipments were mostly used after the 1920s. These electronic devices were very hard to find and also very expensive. 1950s was when electronic equipment became easier to obtain and also became relatively cheaper. Not only that, they were also better in quality of recording and reproduction when compared to those devices used during the 1920s. By this time there were a lot of studios that were in demand for more electronic recording equipment. With the development of electronic equipments by engineers and inventors (such as Raymond Scott, who was an American composer and inventor who invented recording equipments and electronic instruments), studios started to buy these relatively cheap instruments. With these new equipments, studios were able to re-master previous recordings (mostly classical and jazz) to produce a more crystal-clear sound. However re-mastering was not the only feature of these equipments. Studios (sometimes individual labels) and bigger recording compani es (labels) started to record more and more music using these equipments and then sold them to the audience. Also during this time, along with the development of new instruments, new genres started to form. Consequently more and more label companies were formed and companies were categorized according to the genre they produced and sold. Slowly by slowly, label companies started to compete with each other and signed contracts with artists to record more songs to sell. This competition between labels made popular music a commodity and in time, these music equipments were started to be used for music sampling or element extraction which in some cases led to lawsuits. The developments in music production equipments have led to companies wanting to make more and more profit by recording and distributing their records. With these developments, companies started to look for new ways of distribution that could allow them to distribute their records at a global scale. The general development in technology has worked to their advantage. Music Distribution 1. Transportation Transportation before the evolution of civil aircraft was very hard and took a very long time. Mostly, merchandises were transported with ships and trains. However, during the 1950s, civil aircraft manufacturers were allowed to use turbojet engines for their aircraft. With these engines, new passenger and cargo aircraft were able to travel at a higher speed. New maritime technologies that were developed around the 1950s (such as the bulbous bow, used to decrease drag) allowed transportation ships to travel at (relatively) very high velocities. These developments made air cargo and ship transportation the primary platforms for transporting merchandises. Using these developments, record companies started to use air cargo and ships to distribute their records to all around the world very quickly. 2. Computers and The Internet Recordings were stored mostly in WAV file formats in computers. WAV is a waveform file format and its almost the exact replica of a high-quality CD recording. However, WAV files are very big in size. Transferring these formats over the internet would take a very long time. Even now, when we have access to high-speed internet, downloading a 50MB file takes about a minute. Back in the 90s, most people used the standard dial-up connection (which was very slow, 56 kbps). Downloading a 50MB file with a dial-up connection would take up to 4 hours, considering that the file does not contain any invaluable (overhead) data[1]. The MP3 file format compresses the original sound recording and provides us with a file that is very small in size but high in sound quality. This decrease in file size made the MP3 files very popular amongst internet users because they are very accessible and they can download them very quickly. With these developments, label companies wanted to take advantage of this increase in accessibility and consequently gave (sold) licenses to distributing companies. Currently, iTunes and many other sites allow users to download MP3 music files for a certain price. With this accessibility, both the marketing (distributing companies) and the label companies make profit from selling recordings. Also, besides these, the internet has provided label companies many opportunities to advertise/promote their records. With the increasing number of websites, labels can advertise their records on certain websites, or promote their records in YouTube, etc. Certain websites play previews of records or single recordings for users when they enter the website. Unlike local billboards and TV/Radio commercials/promotions, label companies can extend their range to a global scale. Many local and global popular music groups and labels have official accounts on YouTube, Facebook and MySpace. They can simply promote their records on these sites by providing users with full records or previews. These types of social websites are also a great way for labels and individual groups to promote their items. Therefore, this global increase in label advertising opportunities and thus increase in advertising itself, also allowed the sales to increase in time and bring label companies to a higher position. 3. Technological Accessibility Nowadays, almost everyone owns either an iPod or a portable CD-player. Label companies can distribute records in several different formats. For example, some of these formats may be CD-ROMs, online MP3 files, tapes, etc. With the accessibility to electronic portable CD/Tape players, computers, and MP3 players, many users of these different platforms can buy records from a certain label company. The main label will have a higher rate of sales when they distribute for more than one platform. When we compare today with earlier days, where the gramophone was in use, we can say that the gramophone was the only music reproduction platform and not everyone had access to it. Thus the increase in accessibility and platforms do increase profits for label companies. Conclusion Almost every development in technology, from aircrafts to ships and chips to the internet, has affected the music industry. As usual, these developments may be both in advantage or disadvantage to the music industry or label companies, however I have elaborated on the advantageous side of these developments. Record label companies have brought themselves to a high position using these technological developments that helped them mass produce and distribute their records at a global scale. Unfortunately, popular music labels only use this technology to increase the amount of yearly profits instead of using it to create art. Label companies now use â€Å"template† music, where only certain elements of music can be changed to make it look individual (pseudo-individualization)[2]. Looking at these general actions of record companies, I can say that their sole purpose is to make profit by marketing music. Considering the technological developments and their consequences, these developments have been to the advantage of label companies. Bibliography Allan, David. On Popular Music in Advertising. Popular Musicology Online. Web. 13 Oct. 2009. . Bray, Patrick J. Learning about bulbous bows. Martins Marine Engineering Page. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . Holmes, Thomas B. Electronic and Experimental Music Pioneers in Technology and Composition. New York: Routledge, 2002. Print. The Jet Engine. History Learning Site. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . Raymond Scott: Biography. Official Raymond Scott Website: RaymondScott.com. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . Shuker, Roy. Understanding Popular Music. New York: Routledge, 2001. Print. Tschmuck, Peter. Creativity and Innovation in the Music Industry. New York: Springer, 2006. Print. Ulucay, Tolga. Difference Between .mp3 and .wav. EzineArticles. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . [1] Download time calculator: [2] Allan, David. On Popular Music in Advertising.Popular Musicology Online. Web. 13 Oct. 2009. .

Tom Comes Home in The Mill on the Floss :: The Mill on the Floss George Eliot Essays

Tom Comes Home in The Mill on the Floss TOM was to arrive early in the afternoon, and there was another fluttering heart besides Maggie's when it was late enough for the sound of the gig wheels to be expected; for if Mrs Tulliver had a strong feeling, it was fondness for her boy. At last the sound came - that quick light bowling of the gig wheels - and in spite of the wind which was blowing the clouds about, and was not likely to respect Mrs Tulliver's curls and cap-strings, she came outside the door, and even held her hand on Maggie's offending head, forgetting all the griefs of the morning. 'There he is, my sweet lad! But, Lord ha' mercy, he's got never a collar on; it's been lost on the road, I'll be bound, and spoilt the set.' Mrs Tulliver stood with her arms open; Maggie jumped first on one leg and then on the other; while Tom descended from the gig and said, with masculine reticence as to the tender emotions, 'Hallo! Yap, what, are you there?' Nevertheless, he submitted to be kissed willingly enough, though Maggie hung on his neck in rather a strangling fashion, while his blue-grey eyes wandered towards the croft and the lambs and the river where he promised himself that he would begin to fish the first thing to-morrow morning. He was one of those lads that grow everywhere in England, and, at twelve or thirteen years of age, look as much alike as goslings: - a lad with light brown hair, cheeks of cream and roses, full lips, indeterminate nose and eye-brows - a physiognomy in which it seems impossible to discern anything but the generic character of boyhood; as different as possible from poor Maggie's phiz, which Nature seemed to have moulded and coloured with the most decided intention. But that same Nature has the deep cunning which hides itself under the appearance of openness, so that simple people think they can see through her quite well, and all the while she is secretly preparing a refutation of their confident prop hecies. Under these average boyish physiognomies that she seems to turn off by the gross, she conceals some of her most rigid inflexible purposes, some of her most unmodifiable characters, and the dark-eyed, demonstrative, rebellious girl may after all turn out to be a passive being compared with this pink and white bit of masculinity with the indeterminate features.

American History :: History of America

The Space Race The goal of Apollo 11 was to send men to the moon, this goal was set by jfk in the year 1961. they landed on the July 20th 1969. The men who were aboard the ship were Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins. These men were (other than Collins) the first people to ever to walk on the moon. The event was televised to millions of American homes. There were also three backup crew members who didn’t go into space: James Lovell, Fred Haise, and William Anders. The crew conducted many science experiments as well as leaving an american flag on the moon. The flag has since been bleached white by the suns unrelenting power. The first man on the moon is so important to the history of America because it solidified the country as a superpower. If Russia had beaten America to the moon, they would been the country to reach that pinnacle of space science. It also would have crushed the hopes and dreams of Americans young and old alike. With the US and Russia locked in the cold war, the American people needed a confidence boost, and they got it when they won the space race. 1st Black President In election of 2008, the candidates running were Barack Obama and John McCain. Obama won, making him the first African American President in American history. Throughout history African Americans were treated as lesser to whites and Obama overcame those stereotypes and became president. There was some speculation that Obama wasn’t actually from America, but these were put to rest when he released his birth certificate. Some issues during the election were the war in Iraq, economic downturn, and LGBT issues. American history is full of examples of minorities such as blacks being kept down. Slavery was a huge black mark on the nation’s history. It is one of the main factors for racism toward African Americans in our culture. Blacks were often seen and treated as lesser people, and having a president who is part of this minority is huge step forward in racial equality. since Obama was elected there have been more black candidates running for office. Nuclear bombs The conception of the nuclear bomb began when Albert Einstein wrote FDR a letter concerning the weapons and how powerful they had the potential to be. On July 1945 The first bomb was tested, and the scientists were pleased with the result of the test.

Response to Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson Essay -- English Lite

Response to Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson I believe that, essentially, life consists of a series of choices. A grouping of these choices in one direction or another makes us who we are, and ultimately we have control over our lives. What makes one person different from another is his own set of choices. When going through life’s motions, we develop certain worldviews and ideas and values to live by. We develop an opinion of what makes a person â€Å"great.† In the well-known essay â€Å"Self-Reliance†, Ralph Waldo Emerson provides a beautiful way of approaching these choices, and he reveals a very inspiring set of values centralized around going through life answering only to yourself. I love the way Emerson evaluates the society we live in, and how he radically encourages being misunderstood and nonconformist. Emerson, like myself, exhibits values of saying exactly what you think and living only by what you believe to be the best. If I can successfully shape my life around ideas of self-reliance I can be exactly who I want to be. I look around me and don’t want to conform to society’s standards, I recognize that there is an easy way out, but try my best to remain true to myself by following my heart with pure conviction. Because of my desire to remain true to myself, I closely identify with Emerson in â€Å"Self-Reliance†: â€Å"To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, - that is genius.† Emerson’s views of soc...

Black Pepper

Characterization and Quantification of Active Compounds of Black pepper (Piper Nigrum): AbstractThe objectives of the study were to investigate the presence of phytochemical compounds from the extract of piper nigrum, using methanolic extraction. It showed the presence of alkaloid, flavanoids, carbohydrates, proteins, phenols, phytosterols, and tannins. The phytochemical compounds were also screened by GC-MS method.A total 21 bioactive compounds were identified in the methanolic extract of Piper nigrum. The identification of phytochemical compounds is based on the peak area,retention time,molecular weight.GC-MS analysis of P.nigrum revealed the existence of major compounds like caryophyllene ,delta.3-carene as well as Cinene. The results will be useful for further study in future to explore the biosynthetic activity of black pepper. Introduction:Black Pepper:Black Pepper, the tropical plant family, Piperaceae is a reliable source of diverse biologically dynamic phytochemicals (Parmar et al., 1997) and food grade spice. Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) (Piperaceae) celebrated as â€Å"Dark Gold† and furthermore known as â€Å"Ruler of Spices† is one of the vital rural products (Ankegowda and Krishnamurthy 2012). The extracts of Pepper can be viably used as a source of biopesticide material. The most broadly perceived specie of this family is Piper Nigrum or dark pepper which apart from culinary applications is utilized as a part of various ayurvedic details because of its different curative properties (Srinivas et al., 2005). Piperine is one of the significant compounds that is extracted from Piper Nigrum. Many other unsaturated amides have since been distinguished in Piper species from every single tropical locale of the world (Parmar et al 1997). Piperine is the significant compound that causes the impactful and spicy flavor of pepper and has indicated many pharmacological exercises, for example, insecticidal, calming, pain relieving, and so forth. (Khajuria et al., 1989). The wide variety of auxiliary plant mixes found in Piper were recommended as potential leads for novel bug sprays (Miyakado et al., 1989) while numerous mixtures are utilized as a part of conventional control of insecticides that are vectors of ailment (Okorie and Ogunro 1992) and harm stored crops (Sighamony et al. 1986; Baier and Webster 1992; Mbata et al., 1995; Ke'? ¨ta et al., 2000). Early examinations with P. nigrum seed extracts showed that piperamides were in charge of the harmfulness of the extracts to the adzuki bean weevil Callosobruchuschinensis L. (Miyakado et al., 1980). For the treatment of infectious diseses on Earth pharmacologists ,microbiologists and natural products chemists are relying on plant derived dietary supplements as well as phytochemicals.(Pandey et al.,2015).The objective of this research is to identify and characterize the active compounds in crude extract of Black pepper. Key words: Piper nigrum L, Phytochemical Screening,GC-MS.Material and Method:The seeds of Black pepper were purchased from Qissa Khwani Bazar PeshawarExtract of Black Pepper: Seeds of black pepper 10gm were grounded in a blender and then covered with 100 ml of methanol. The grounds and methanol slurry was shaker in a mini orbital shaker for 30 min at 260 rppm and then passed through a Buchner funnel with Whatman No.1 filter paper for removing insoluble material. The methanol fraction was separated and air died ( Jyothiprabha, and Venkatachalam 2016). Identification of Active Compounds: Some plants have more than one chemical as an active principle responsible for their biological properties. Phytochemical tests was done to find the presence of the active chemical constituents such as alkaloid, glycosides, flavonoids, reducing sugars, triterpenes, phenolic acid and tannis. Detailed Phytochemical screening was carried out as per standard methods. (Kokate, 2000; Habone, 1999; Tiwari et al., 2011).

Ray Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains” Essay

What would the world be like if mankind disappeared? This is the theme of Ray Bradbury’s story â€Å"There Will Come Soft Rains†. All of the characters in the story are machines, which through personification take the place of human characters. The theme of man’s destruction reverberates throughout the story. Bradbury uses personification to describe the mechanical creations of man that eventually lead to the story’s theme of the destruction of mankind. There are no human characters at all in the story; instead, there are machines with human characteristics. Miller notes that personification is constantly used to describe the house’s actions (1). This is seen in the first line of the story,† In the living room the voice-clock sang, Tick-tock, seven o’clock, time to get up, seven o’ clock! as if it were afraid that nobody would† (Bradbury 76). The distress of the voice-clock gives it a humanoid impression, which allows it to take the place of human characters. Another interesting example of personification is seen in the way that Bradbury describes the robotic mice. â€Å"Behind it whirred angry mice, angry at having to pick up mud, angry at inconvenience† (Bradbury 77). However, machines are incapable of feelings. Hicks observes that readers are reminded that the rodent readers are mechanical, and that feelings-â€Å"those highly praised human emotions†-cannot exist in machines (234). In fact, there is only one living character in the whole story. As Jennifer Hicks points out, the only live being in the house is the dog, who enters mid-story (234). The dog is not very seemly. â€Å"The dog, once huge and fleshy, but now gone to bone and covered with sores, moved in and through the house, tracking mud† (Bradbury 77). It is pathetic and dying, much like the human race. Life after the destruction of man is the main theme of the story. It is hinted in the story that an atomic bomb was the cause of man’s demise. Bradbury does not blatantly tall the reader that an atomic catastrophe occurred, but reveals it by describing the house and its surroundings (Miller 6). The reader is told that, â€Å"The house stood alone in a city of rubble and ashes. This was the one house left standing. At night the ruined city gave off a radioactive glow which could be seen for miles† (Bradbury 77). The â€Å"ruined city† and â€Å"radioactive glow† give readers enough clues to  conclude that atomic warfare was the cause of man’s downfall. While it is known that the earth is now empty, Bradbury also indicates that it was empty before the bomb. Peltier suggests that this world was empty even before the destruction, with mechanical mice vacuuming and a sing-song clock telling time. The dull, mechanical world was empty long before people were taken from it (238). This can be seen in the nursery, where â€Å"Animals took shape: yellow giraffes, blue lions, pink antelopes, lilac panthers cavorting in crystal substance. The walls were glass. They looked out upon color and fantasy† (Bradbury 78). Children do not even go outside to enjoy nature, but watch it on their mechanical walls, their lives growing more and more hollow and empty. Another point that Bradbury makes is that if man disappeared, nothing would care, or even notice. Peltier explains that â€Å"The title of the story, taken from the poem quoted within it, suggests that if humankind were gone, nature would not only endure, but it would also not even notice our disappearance† (237). Sara Teasdale’s poem best illustrates this. â€Å"And not one will know of the war, not one/Will care at last when it is done./Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,/If mankind perished utterly;/ And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn/ Would scarcely know that we were gone (Bradbury 79). Indeed, life would go on after mankind, and would go on peacefully. Therefore, Bradbury’s use of personification describe the machines that eventually lead to the story’s theme of mankind’s destruction. Personification allows the machines to show us what the people who owned the house were like: cold, impersonal, and oblivious to the outside- characteristics that led to both man and machine’s downfall. The author uses the story’s theme of the destruction of man to show readers the effects of becoming too dependent on machines and withdrawing from nature and the world. The chilling thing about Bradbury’s story is the acknowledgment of human dependency on machinery today, and the realization that in such a technologically advanced world, the story could easily become reality.

Monroe Motivated Sequence Design Essay

Gain Attention: We have all seen and heard the stories nationally and locally on the topic of the measles vaccination. Most recently, Disneyland in December of 2014, 59 cases were documented due to an outbreak at the amusement park. Out of those 59 cases 34 had their vaccinations (www.quora.com). Locally, according to the Reno Gazette Journal on February 12, 2015, there are 27 possible cases and four of them are confirmed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that measles is the most deadly of all childhood illnesses. We need to know our facts and be knowledgeable on the signs, risks, and potentials of getting this vaccine. Establish a Need: According to an article in the Washington Post, a survey performed showing 83% of Americans feel the measles vaccination is safe. The other 9% are Americans between the age of 18 and 29 are most likely to state that vaccinations are unsafe. That 9% is in the age group that hasn’t seen or witnessed the effects of the measles due to vaccinations requirements in the past. Additional education must be taught in regards to the effects of not having this shot. We need to establish a guideline for those that do not wish to be vaccinated. By not educating yourself and others you are speculating on the chances of contracting the virus. Provide Satisfaction: Referencing the website for The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, in the decade prior to the measles vaccine in 1963, an average of 549,000  measles cases and 495 measles deaths were reported. They speculate that 3-4 million measles cases occurred each year. After the implementation of the vaccine, cases declined dramatically in the US. Over the decade of 1989-1991 the epidemic came to the surface again when over 55,000 cases and 123 deaths were reported. It is stated this was caused by unvaccinated preschool age children who were not vaccinated. Thus in turn created the need for a second dose to be recommended. In 2000, the measles were considered â€Å"eliminated from the United States. Now we are seeing the virus popping up again all over the country and locally, once again to non-vaccinated due to religious or health concerns with the vaccine. In addition, there is concerns with the importations of the virus from travelers coming in and out of the country. There is a reason this vaccine is available to the public and there should be a law restricting those who do not wish to have the vaccination. Visualization (either utopia or tragic): As we have seen throughout the decades this vaccination works and has proven result. When it is not administered we see the death rate increase. No one wants to see a child or a loved one suffer physical and mentally from the measles, if prevention is possible. Why risk your life or someone you love based on a uneducated decision. These cases have been reported and documented resent by the Disneyland outbreak. And how quickly this virus spread has multiplied. This could be you or someone that is unvaccinated that could cause the spread of this disease leading to death in some cases! Call to Action – concrete, do-able, practical actions: In conclusion, It is our own responsibility to take care of ourselves and the ones we love in life. We need to educate ourselves and look at the real statistics related to the measles vaccination. If we take the time to learn more about the virus its causes, risks, and effects, we can create a more thought out opinion to getting this vaccination. We all do not like the saying â€Å"could of, would of, should of†, don’t let that be you.

How Accurate Was the Term Era of Good Feelings in the United States

In the 1800’s following the war of 1812, the term commonly applied to that era in the United States was known as the â€Å"era of good feelings†. While the United States was growing in several different aspects, such as politically, socially and economically, and changing as a country, there are several key factors that denote this term, and nullify its meaning. While the changes were significant, and the United States evolved at an exponential rate after the war of 1812, the accuracy of the term â€Å"era of good feelings† is way off, and the United States was anything but experiencing an â€Å"era of good feelings†. Following the war of 1812, growth occurred primarily economically, politically, and socially for the United States. These changes indicated symbolize development, expansion of both land and industry, and a sense of unifying nationalism within the citizens of the United States. Although Nationalism seemed to unify the nation, there was more of an underlying indication of a much larger problem, Sectionalism. Sectionalism is a relation to a geographic area. So whereas people could have felt patriotic towards the United States, they related more towards the region they lived in and not the country they were a part of. This sectionalism also indicates a difference in the economic, social and political stances of regions such as the North and the South, and the â€Å"era of good feelings† continued to simply widen that gap. Economically, the United States was experiencing growth. But looking further into sectionalism, there are two completely different growths present in the northern United States and the Southern United States. In the north, following the war of 1812, a rapid expansion occurred in the industry of the north. Technological advances such as the textile mills, and factory workers and the increase in the amount of factories in the North helped create a gap in the economy of the north itself. A lower class, comprised of the workers, got low wages and produced high quantities of product, and the middle class, who were the businessmen and managers. This rift created a class system which benefited the middle class as well as the Northern United States as a whole, as a free market economy developed and increased. Although this was increase throughout the United States, this economical situation occurred primarily in the North, and much less in the south. In the south, the economic increase was much different. Because of the large amounts of plantations and farms in the south, new land was needed so that the crops that had dried up the soil could continue to grow and the economy can continue to benefit. This growth in land and economy indicates that the economic benefit in the south came from crops and agricultural might, rather than industrial. These differences help identify that the â€Å"era of good feelings† and the nationalism that is implied is incorrect and inaccurate, as people have more of a connection towards the land that they make their money on, which implies sectionalism. Politically, the â€Å"era of good feelings† was extremely off. Even before the war of 1812, there had always been a major difference in the political parties and systems of the government. A major difference in this coming from extremely opposing ideologies of the parties and the lack of unity between the two. The difference between the parties is also present in Document C, which shows two different party tents during the fourth of july. Whilst the people are generally happy, the party tents show that the difference is quite evident, and especially how only one of the tents has an American flag flying above it. This difference helps show the gap in political unity and the disagreement between parties. Also, many parties were so discontent with the others, that one (the new England federalists) offered to secede from the Union so as to follow their own system. This shows that the â€Å"era of good feelings† only helped widen the gap between parties, as more and more minor parties came into existence. Socially, The United States was anything but experiencing an â€Å"era of good feelings†. The country was experiencing major problems as the south and the north fought for the Missouri compromise. The north, wanting a free state, fought for Missouri to be free. The south, wanting more power, wanted Missouri to be a slave state. The geographical differences indicate less of a feeling of nationalism and an extreme version of sectionalism. This is also evident in Doc F, â€Å" A geographical line, coinciding with a marked principle, moral and political, once conceived and held up to the angry passions of men, will never be obliterated; and every new irritation will mark it deeper and deeper†. This quote by Thomas Jefferson emphasizes the difference between the North and South. The usage of the term a geographical line only seems to magnify the situation that the United States is in. If anything nationalism isn’t even implied in the document, and the idea of sectionalism strikes itself deep in the line, indicating that the problems between the North and the South is not just a coincidence. It is because of increasing tensions and a lack of unity between the two regions. This rift clearly indicates that the â€Å"era of good feelings† is not only extremely inaccurate, but also opposite of what actually is occurring, which is an increasing divide in the country, as sectionalism continues to increase geographically, and socially. â€Å"The era of good feelings† is anything but a good feeling for the United States. The 1800s provide a turbulent earthquake that splits the nation economically, politically, and socially. The most common indication of this is the ever increasing difference in between the North and the South, which would culminate in 1861 with the deadly civil war that would leave about 620,000 Americans dead.

Advantages Of Banner Advertising Marketing Essay

Advantages Of Banner Advertising Marketing Essay The key of successful business is the business how to promote the product and services to all readers by using the online. According to the statistical data, more of the 80% people will everyday surf through the technologically such as internet. So, the internet has becomes an indispensable part of people’s lives. Thus, it can be considered a wide channel for the business which wants to promote their products and services to all the people. The online advertising method has becomes the most popular method for the business. It is because online advertising is easy and low advertising cost. Besides that, the online advertising also have a lot of the readers or viewers. There are many method of online advertising that can used to promote the product and services such as bloggers advertising, banner advertising, email advertising, forum advertising and so on. But in this assignment, I would like to go on deep about the banner advertising. Advantages of Banner Advertising Banner A dvertising is a most important component of web-business creation. It is a good method for make profits via the website. It is because banner advertising is very simple and easy by just sign up an affiliate programs and follow the instruction given to create an attractive banner that link your website with the advertiser. We can free to choose the design of the layout and content of our site. With the pay-per-click advertisements, we can get paid from viewer who clicked on your banner. Moreover, it is easier for viewers to remember the company name. On the other hand, it become more effective and convenience compare when compare with other online advertising. Furthermore, the banner advertising is inexpensive. It normally counts by the size of the banner or loads of a banner advertisement, a cost per miles (CPM) for a minimum purchase. For example, if you make a banner ad on Yahoo, it cost you a CPM of $20 – $25. It is much cheaper than other advertising media. Compare with o thers, the small firm or company can afford for the banner advertising cost. In addition, by using the banner advertising that can easy got a lot of larger audiences and target segments can be accessed. Last but not least, with the banner advertising, we can share the information at anywhere and in any times. It is because the internet is links worldwide. So, everyone can access to the Internet 24 hours daily thus the banner advertisement created can be logged on anytime and anyplace. Besides that, publisher also update the product and service information release products and services as well as promotion instantly. Disadvantages of Banner Advertising There are few disadvantages of banner advertising. Firstly, there is no assurance of the audience responses. It is because banner only assures that the banner advertising maybe will just be viewed by people and is no guarantee that people will click on the banner advertising. Secondly, the publisher must make sure that the banner adver tising are attractive and innovative. It is because if the banner advertising is not attracted by the reader, then nobody would click into the banner advertising and deliver the message advertising . It is waste time and cost because maybe the business or firm need to hire the professional for creating a unique banner in order to compete with the competitors.

The Devolution of Greek Economy Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The Devolution of Greek Economy - Dissertation Example The humans have managed to evolve by thinking of new and different things. The ability to innovate had always helped the sons and daughters of Adam to get out of the caves that remained their home for centuries. The human race with the passage of time learned the art and science of building homes and sowing seeds. These activities have assisted the mankind in moving in the direction of industrialization. The industrialization is a trend and is also a force that caused the needs of the masses to be fulfilled over a period of long tenure. The scientific development and growth is done in order to facilitate the achievement of industrialists’ objectives and goals (Oakey, 60). The economy is always known to be controlled by the local corporate sector of the country. There are two significant powers in the world. The first one is called the power of entropy that forces any system to disintegrate over the years and the other one is the strength of evolution that with the help of huma n effort makes things better and better (Peck, 115). The scientific development and the growth in every other field are repeatedly attributed to the people who dared to think differently (Baron and Tang, 55). The different and unique people have always been defined by the ability to see the world in a different way and method. The evolution has its roots in the ability and power of the people who are blessed with the tendency to see, observe and think. The quality of life on the other hand, is directly related with the local entrepreneur’s ability to translate new product and business ideas into commercialized corporate offerings. The offerings are also not the end in themselves but they have to be made better in order to overcome the traditional power of entropy and disintegration. The disintegration is created by the nature itself in order to keep the humans attempting to evolve and inspire. The economic growth is always caused by the force of inspiration that makes people to think and try to become more than what they are in their current state (Fuglsang, Sundbo and Sorensen, 663). The leaders are famous for playing their due hand in the process of evolution as they are primarily responsible for giving direction and purpose to people. The governments are supposed to provide the services of leadership by fueling the process of development and evolution. The Chios Island is the fifth biggest one in the country of Greece and it has a population of 55,000 but the area remained much neglected in the past as the shipping served the country as a major industry in the past years. However, the tide is turning and Chios Island is finally getting all the attention it needed because it is becoming an agricultural hub of the region. The immigrants are building their homes in the Island so that they can take care of the fields while, keeping their families in the newly developing residential areas. Research Question Following is the research questions of the study : - Q.1 Would economic crisis in Greece, be the motive in rehabilitation of abandoned rural areas and its settlements? Significance of the Study The importance, value and significance of the study exist because it is going to discuss the effects of growing population in the rural areas of

Human Recourse Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Human Recourse Management - Essay Example The external environment of the company, the organisation’s monitoring system of the external environment and how these contribute to its success and occasional hiccups have also been looked into in this paper. To do this, this paper has used several analytical models. Particularly, this paper has used SWOT, PESTEL and the Porter Five forces model as analytical models to look into British Airways adjustment to the external environment. Finally, this paper has made several recommendations regarding how the chosen organisation can respond better to environmental forces. Analysing the External Environment of British Airways Introduction and Background British Airways is among the leading airlines in the global scene and the principle carrier in the United Kingdom. Statistics reveal that the company plays a key role in the worldwide economic landscape. In the financial year 2009/ 2010 it served approximately thirty two million customers and links over three hundred destinations (B ritish Airways Plc., 2010). Their financial statements are impressive since their revenue in the same financial year amounted to 8 billion dollars as stated by British Airways Plc. (2010). ... The present situation in the company is an interesting area of study since an analysis of how it deals with variations in the external environment affect business operations conclusions can be drawn and recommendations can be made. Company’s Profile British Airways has been proficient player in the airline industry since its incorporation in 1924 according to British Airways Plc. (2010). The company engages its activities both at the local and global level. It provides several services including cargo freight, passenger flight services, and mail services among other auxiliary services. Its business is mainly spread across the United States and Europe and serves over five hundred destinations worldwide (British Airways Plc. 2010). The company’s works towards expanding its customer base by offering world class services. There has been increasing competition in the airline business caused by the introduction of modern technology. British Airways has continuously updated it s policies to keep up with changes in the external environment and this is why the company has maintained leadership in business over the years. This business report involves a detailed analysis of the environment of British Airways by focusing on various issues. It will start by analysing the organisation’s external environment, by applying analytical models and ensuring an international focus. Secondly, it will give a critical review organisation’s monitoring system of the external environment. Finally, it will make recommendations detailing how the chosen organisation can respond better to environmental forces. The analytical models used in the report to evaluate the external

Managing Diversity in Hotels in Lebanon Research Paper

Managing Diversity in Hotels in Lebanon - Research Paper Example Diversity in the workplaces has been beneficial because the diverse groups possess more tools, heuristics, perspectives, insights and knowledge when it comes to problem solving than homogeneous groups. The owners of these hotels also have different nationalities and possess diverse cultural backgrounds, therefore, integrate diverse people into the workforce. As diversity increases in the hotel industry, managers have seen an increasing number of matters concerning the management of diverse workplaces. This has prompted them to adopt strategies and methods that will help them in managing diversity (Groschl 225). This paper is concerned with the strategies, aspects and enhancements that are being utilized in managing diversity in the hotel industry of Lebanon. Diversity can be explained as the varying individual differences that organizations are faced with ranging from the visible differences such as age, sex, and ethnicity to the invisible differences such as social class, sexual orientation, culture, religion, educational background, skills, personality, and experience. Diversity management involves the handling and comprehension of these individual differences that the employees and the clients possess in an effort to achieve the desired goals of the hotel industry. Diversity management not only recognizes that every individual is unique and has a particular vital role in the organization but also includes the achievement of the organization’s goals as a tool to foster the advancement of the individual (Heres and Benschop 437). In simpler terms, it involves proper management of diverse human resources to ensure that the best outcomes for the business are realized. Lebanon for a long time has valued its tourism industry immensely as it provides a sizeable source of revenue to the country’s economy. Cultural tourism has always been a part of Lebanon’s broad tourism industry with many Europeans finding their way into the culturally diverse country. The hotels feature diverse workforces like their diverse customer base. In the advertisements the hotels showcase mountain ski resorts, discos, and well preserved churches among other features that attract tourists from different places in the world. They offer international cuisines and a wide variety of beverages to the customers’ preferences. The hotels are also strategically located near bars, restaurants, pubs and even churches such as the Maronite Catholic Cathedral, which are amenities exclusively meant to serve the tourists since Lebanon’s population is largely composed of Muslims (Beirut Hotel 2013). Managing cultural diversity is important for the line managers, expatriate managers and the Human Resource professionals in order to create effective programs that will help the hotel meet its goals. They must possess relevant information on the different cultures and ethnicities that will help provide a base on the activities that should be done to increase the efficiency of the diverse workforce. It is important for the managers to attend trainings and workshops to assist in managing the diverse workforce. Many hotel managers are required to take such trainings in order to effectively manage diverse workforces. Take the example of The Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Beirut. This hotel recruits employees from across the globe and receives a diverse customer base. In order to manage and serve the employees and the customers, the managers have undergone training on how to manage a culturally diverse hotel. In order to successfully manage a diverse workforce, some strategies such as adopting recruitment and training programs, and corporate diversity programs can be used.